


A Messy Business

by Raven_Knight



Series: 2018 Autumn OTP Challenge - Multifandom [10]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Pumpkin carving, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-16 16:38:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16498970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raven_Knight/pseuds/Raven_Knight
Summary: When they're both planetside during the Autumn, Pike and Number One have a long-standing tradition together involving pumpkins. Domestic-fluff ensues.





	A Messy Business

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek. This piece, archived at Archive of Our Own (Ao3), is purely a non-commercial work of fiction from which I am not profiting in any way. This work may not be reproduced, archived, or redistributed by any means and/or in any format without prior written permission from me. Permission may be obtained by contacting me at r4v3n.kn1ght@gmail.com. 
> 
> I know October is over, but it is still Autumn, so I'm continuing this series of oneshots.
> 
> This series of oneshots belong to the 2018 Autumn OTP Challenge, though I have done away with the OTP part of it and focus instead on either romantic ships I ship or platonic relationships that fit the prompt given. This oneshot is in response to prompt #10: Pumpkin Carving. ~ RK

**A Messy Business**  
**By  
** **Raven Knight**

 

Since the very first year they started living together, they’ve had a tradition once Autumn truly began. She would open up, clear out the guts, and then carve the pumpkin. Christopher Pike, on the other hand, only had one job: roast the seeds. The arrangement moved smoother than most landing party missions and much more enjoyably.

Pike, however, would make sure to smuggle the stringy innards to the kid who hung around in the botany department at the Academy. He said it helped some of the other plants grow, and having looked at the kid’s claimed section of the botany lab, Pike started to believe him. If rotting stringy bits of pumpkin would help Mister Sulu’s plants grow, then he the stringy bits of Pike’s annual pumpkin gutting would not go to waste. Landing with a wet plop, Pike flung the pumpkin strings into a container for him to take to the Academy the next day.

Then he set to work rinsing, seasoning, and roasting up the pumpkin seeds. He came up with some interesting flavors over the years. This year, he decided to go with a mild, less-adventurous variety. Cinnamon and sugar.

He checked on the seeds through the oven door’s window then turned to his partner to see her progress. Seeing her handiwork, he couldn’t help but smile. “Every year I hope you’ll carve something new and every year my hopes are dashed.”

She wiped her sleeve across her brow as she faced him, gesturing with the carving knife. “I never once claimed to be an artist,” she said.

He came to stand beside her. They examined her carved depiction of Starfleet’s insignia, a delta containing a gleaming star. The star was the prominent carved item, while only the corner points of the delta indicated the outer symbol. She carved the same design every year, but Pike thought it improved a tiny bit every year, too. He flashed her an encouraging grin. “Still better than me.” The oven beeped, indicating that the first batch of their pumpkin seeds finished roasting to flavorful perfection. “Thankfully,” he said, sliding his hand into the oven mitt. “At least one of us can cook.”

“Shut up, Chris!” she shouted through her laughter. “Get the next tray in! I want to eat some of those tonight.”

“Aye, aye, Number One,” he said, with a mock salute with his mitten-encased hand. He put the next batch in the oven and set the timer before wandering back to her.

Her sleeves were pushed up to her elbows, her hands and arms stained slightly orange from the gutting of the pumpkin, and her hair unkempt, but she looked wonderful. “So,” she said, scraping out a bit more of the slick pumpkin innards with one hand. “What kind did you make this year?”

“Cinnamon and sugar.”

Her intense, focused expression transformed into joy. “You remembered?” He nodded. “I said I wanted that months ago!”

“And you say I don’t pay attention.”

Her smile shifted into a more serious, satisfied grin that promised a reward for his good behavior. “Come here, Captain,” she said, her voice coming from low in her throat. She grabbed him by shirt and pulled him to her, her other hand sliding up and into his hair to hold him there as she claimed his mouth. Pike slipped his arms around her and pressed her firmly against him, falling fully into her kiss. Even as the thought registered, he found he didn’t even care that he still wore a thick oven mitt on one hand and that he had slimy pumpkin tangling throughout in his hair. She was happy. Very little else mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed! Thanks! ~ RK


End file.
